Yavapai News

Arizona State Rep. Dr. Selina Bliss (R) recently tweeted about two bills she sponsored — one which was signed into law, the other vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) she supported being signed into law.

"Some days we win some and lose some," she wrote, "while HB2043 got signed into law, HB2332 for firearm accident prevention education was vetoed."

HB 2043 "addresses healthcare worker shortages by allowing PAs to  perform appropriate and agreed upon medical services based on their education, training,  and clinical experience," said Bliss in a press release. 

"The advance practice nurses entered into collaborative agreements with physician providers two years ago, and I believe it was time that the PAs do so as well.”

Another proposed measure, HB2332, sought to amend Title 15, Chapter 7, Article 1, of the Arizona Revised Statutes code by adding section 15-714.02, which would require school districts and charter schools to provide students in grades 6-12 with firearms safety training. Under the rule, the training would be age-appropriate and based on a firearms accident prevention program that met specific requirements, such as being in operation for over thirty years and developed by a task force that includes educators, school administrators, curriculum specialists, urban housing safety officials, clinical psychologists, law enforcement officials and firearms safety experts from a national rifle association. Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the measure, saying firearms safety training in schools was "not the answer."

The bill would have allowed parents to opt out their child out of the training, and schools could accept donations of materials, equipment or services for the training but not accept working or live firearms. Republicans who proposed the bill said it was to provide children with firearms safety instruction from qualified individuals to ensure that they can identify safe and unsafe firearms handling and appropriate responses. The instruction would not include firearms operation, qualification or hunting, according to the bill's text.